Spider of the Stars
by The Lord Dark Novelist
Summary: Beginning at the start of ME2, an unexpected anomaly during Shepard's revival causes her to switch places with an almost identical girl from a different dimension-the infamous Nao Yuki. Forced to take Shepard's place to have any chance of finding her way back home, Nao struggles between the prospect of such newfound powers and the responsibility of mankind's survival. M for later
1. Chapter 1

**Spider of the Stars**

* * *

**Chapter 1: An Unexpected Development**

* * *

**Unknown Facility**

**-Approximately 1.5 years after the death of Commander Shepard**

* * *

Miranda couldn't help but sigh in irritation as she sat at her desk to file the most recent update on the Lazarus project to the Illusive Man. Over the course of the year and a half she had spent into rebuilding the woman who was regarded by many as the galaxy's savior, the Cerberus operative had grown increasingly doubtful that the process would ever reach fruition. It had taken them a year and god knows how many trillions of credits just to reconstruct Shepard's body, and they were only now starting to see signs of possible reawakening. _Maybe heroes aren't meant to come back after their time has passed…_ she contemplated, resting her head on the back of her chair. _Then again, if this doesn't work, humanity has absolutely no hope of making it out of this alive._ With that last thought, Miranda quickly wrote up the update, then slowly drifted into much needed sleep. Not even an hour later, the blaring sound of the facility's alarms woke her from her slumber. Cursing under her breath, the Cerberus operative immediately activated her omni-tool's communicator.

"Jacob, report! What the hell is happening? Are we under attack?" she demanded.

"Negative, Miranda! The station's passing through an unknown energy signature, and a massive one at that! I've never seen anything like it!" her friend's voice replied.

"Judging by the alarms, I'm going to assume it isn't friendly."

"Heh, you can say that again. Looks like our shields are holding up though. Wait, this is strange…all of the energy is pooling into the-"

Miranda tensed at the sudden halt in Jacob's speech.

"Pooling into what? What's the energy doing, Jacob?"

"It's diverting…to Shepard. All of the energy is going straight to Shepard!"

The Cerberus operative's eyes widened in anxiety. After all the work that went into getting them this far, she wasn't about to let a surprise power surge put an end to it all. Quickly, she rerouted the communicator to the man overseeing Shepard's reconstruction.

"Wilson! What's going on down there? What's the energy doing to Shepard?"

"I don't know! It's too bright in there for me to see anything! Readings are showing a massive spike in Shepard's biotic abilities, as well as some sort of alteration to her tissue. I won't be able to assess the damage until this damn light clears!" the shady scientist answered.

"Dammit!"

No longer able to tolerate such inconclusive information, Miranda made her way to where Wilson stood frantically working on the operating room's control systems. The shutters had been forced down over the room's windows, but a brilliant light could be seen seeping through their creases. Miranda turned her attention toward one of the monitors, which showed the current condition of the commander. As the light began to fade from the room, the identification changed from that of Shepard to 'unknown'. Not waiting for Wilson to check for any potential hazards, the Cerberus operative stormed into the operating room just as the light disappeared. Inside, she found a young woman dressed in street attire, with shoulder length wavy red hair and a small ornate red marking on the back of her neck* in place of Shepard. The woman appeared to be unconscious, but Miranda wasn't quite convinced it was safe to engage the intruder. While she stood staring at the woman in thought, Wilson came into the room.

"Jesus, Miranda! Would it kill you to-" his words came to a halt upon catching sight of the red haired woman. "What the-?! Who the hell is that?!"

"….I haven't the faintest idea. But, is it just me, or does she…look like Shepard?"

The scientist suppressed his rising irritation for a moment to get a better look at the woman. The more he thought about it, the more he found himself agreeing.

"Come to think of it, she does. A bit younger than Shepard, though. What do you think that means?"

"I'm not sure…I have no idea what to make of any of this. I'll go contact the Illusive Man and inform him of what happened, you stay here and make sure she doesn't leave this room."

Wilson nodded in agreement, and Miranda left to contact her superior. Not much later, after getting quite an earful regarding her inability to prevent the loss of their most valuable asset, the Cerberus operative awaited further orders from the Illusive Man. The hologram of the shady organization's director lit yet another cigarette before sitting down and staring at his subordinate.

"You said that this anomaly, this...'girl', is nearly identical to Shepard?" he said at last.

"Yes, sir. Her appearance is remarkably the same, although she appears to be younger in age. However, her appearance is only a minor point of concern. I had Wilson take a sample of her blood, and the results were...peculiar."

"Peculiar? Elaborate, please."

"Whoever this girl is, she has a large amount of an unknown energy source coursing through her veins. It has nothing to do with any biotics we know of, and seems to match that of the strange energy storm that probably brought her here in the first place. She could have powers unlike any the galaxy has ever seen before."

The Illusive Man took a moment to process this new information before putting down his cigarette and returning his gaze to Miranda.

"Sir?" she said confusedly. "What do you propose we do with her?"

"If you say this girl is an almost perfect look alike of Shepard, and the only difference is her age, then...why not keep her?"

"Sir?!"

"Continue the reconstruction process. There is no time left for impediments. Do whatever you must. That is all."

Before Miranda could speak another word, the connection to her superior was cut. The Cerberus operative slowly made her way back to the operating room, where Wilson had restrained the mysterious young woman. She was prepared to carry out her mission, regardless of the cost, but still she could not help but wonder what the consequences would be. As she stared at the woman, deep in thought, Wilson took notice of her presence and walked over to her.

"So? What did he say?" he asked.

"..."

"Miranda?"

"...Continue with the process. We are to use this girl to finish our work."

The scientist looked at her in shock for a moment, then nodded his head in acceptance.

"Yes ma'am, right away."

As Wilson set to work making preparations, Miranda shot one more glance at the woman. _Whoever you are,_ she thought. _You had better be worth all this trouble. Humanity itself depends on it..._

* * *

Sirens. That was the first thing I heard when I opened my eyes. A whole bunch of goddamn sirens. As much as I hated the noise, I quickly became aware that it was the least of my problems. Upon sitting up, I was met with a massive headache, and the sight of an unfamiliar room. From what I could tell, I was in a laboratory of some sort, and judging by the fires raging on the other side of the nearest window, the place was under attack.

"Perfect." I groaned in frustration.

Managing to suppress my headache for the moment, I tried to get a good look at my surroundings, hoping an exit would prevent itself. Just as I found the strength to lift myself off the operating table I'd been laying on, static came over the intercom.

"Shepard!" a woman's voice said.

Since I had no idea what the hell she was talking about, I ignored her. But apparently whoever the woman was didn't like to be ignored.

"Sorry, I'm afraid I don't know your real name yet, but I need you to listen to me! This station is under attack, and you need to get out of there! Go to the locker to your left, you should find armor and a gun. Hurry and get them!"

"What makes you think I'm going to listen to you?" I inquired back at the intercom. "I've got a million questions about just where the hell I am and what's going on."

"Dammit, this is no time to argue! Now hurry up and arm yourself!"

It didn't seem like I was going to get anywhere for the moment, so I decided to play along. I went over to the locker she mentioned, and quickly got into the armor. Surprisingly, it was a perfect fit, though I had to wonder what the N7 on the front was supposed to mean. Another question for later, I guess. I then picked up the firearm that had been placed beside the armor, once again amazed at how light it felt despite its size. _Must be the armor._ I figured. However, instead of carrying the weapon in my hands, I holstered it at my side. _Guns are Kuga's thing, not mine. I've already got the only weapon I need._

"Good, you've got something to protect yourself with." the woman on the intercom said once I returned to the center of the room. "I know you have a lot of questions, but I won't be able to answer them if you're dead."

A door that had previously been sealed off opened in front of me.

"Make your way to the shuttle bay, and I'll get you out of here. Then we can talk to our heart's content. Be careful, the local security mechs have been reprogrammed to attack everyone on board, hence the fires."

"Well, that explains one thing." I replied. "But you'd better have some goddamn answers when I get there."

Not wanting to wait around for more orders, I went through the door and started to make my way through wherever this strange place was. It wasn't until I entered a room with a window looking out into what could only be outer space that I came to terms with how bad my situation might really be. _What have you gotten yourself into this time, Yuuki?_ I thought before turning back toward the next door. However, I had barely taken a step toward it when it sprung open and revealed a human sized robot holding a handgun, which promptly began shooting at me. Acting on pure instinct, I leapt behind the nearest available cover, waited for it to reload, then without thinking drew the handgun from my side and unloaded a couple of shots into its head, effectively disabling it. Immediately after, I paused as I registered the fact that I had just perfectly used a firearm despite having never used one in my entire life. I recalled that I had woken up on an operating table, and couldn't help but wonder if the people who ran this place had something to do with it. _Alright, now I really want some answers. _I continued to head through the facility, every now and then having to fight off a robot or two. At one point a man on the other side of a window had asked me to help him, once again referring to me as "Shepard". I had been too confused at the time to do anything but watch as a huge robot came from around the corner and blew him to bits with a rocket. The glass barrier held up, surprisingly, so I bolted onward before the robot could figure out a way to get past it. Soon enough, I came upon a dark skinned man engaged in a firefight with another pair of the robots. Glad to finally have some human contact, I helped him dispatch the robots before ducking behind cover with him as another pair came in.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were still a work in progress?" he said.

"I just woke up on an operating table on a facility in fucking space! You mind telling me where the hell I am, and what's going on here?" I demanded.

"Right, sorry about that. My name is Jacob Taylor, I was stationed here to-"

Our conversation was interrupted as one of the robots came dangerously close to hitting us.

"Dammit!" Jacob continued. "First thing's first, we gotta take care of those metal bastards! We're low on ammo, but I'm a biotic."

"A bi-what now?"

He looked at me strangely for a moment, then became serious again.

"Forgot, you're not from around here. It basically means I have powers."

To prove his point, he stood up and pulled back one of his hands. A blue energy field appeared over one of the robots at the same time, and it flew forward in tandem with his hand's movement, sending it floating helplessly through the air towards us, and leaving it open for the headshot that Jacob dealt it immediately after.

"Not bad." I admitted. "But as you might have guessed, I'm feeling a little impatient right now. So why don't you let me take it from here?"

Before he could argue, I stood up and summoned my Element, a pair of metallic gloves with long red nails over my fingers. With a flick of my wrist, long red threads of energy extended from my nails, cutting apart the robots on impact as I wove the threads through the air. Once all of them were gone, my Element dematerialized, and I turned back to Jacob. he sat there staring at me in pure surprise.

"I knew you were a biotic from your file, but damn! I've never seen that kind of power before!"

"That's cause I'm not a biotic. I'm a HiME."

"The hell's a HiME?"

"It basically means I have powers." I answered with a smirk.

He chuckled lightly as he stood up.

"You can say that again. Alright, I think we have a moment, so I'll give you the short version for now. A woman who looks just like you, named Shepard, died, and we tried to bring her back to life. At least, that was how it was supposed to go, then suddenly you showed up."

"Showed up? What's that supposed to mean? Space stations of this size shouldn't even be possible yet!"

Jacob sighed heavily at this, clearly annoyed at my lack of what apparently was common knowledge.

"This is going to take longer than I thought. How about for now we focus on getting the hell off this station?"

As much as I wanted answers, I also knew he was right. Sighing in frustration, I nodded.

"What's the quickest way to the shuttle bay?"

"Depends where the mechs are thickest. Probably best if we-"

Again, he was interrupted, this time by an object of glowing orange energy on his wrist.

"Check. Check. Is anyone on this frequency? Anyone still alive out there? Hello?" a man's voice said from the strange device.

Apparently it was a communicator. Jacob then put his hand to an earpiece in his right ear. _At least some things don't_ change.

"Wilson? This is Jacob. I'm here with Commander Shep-I mean, the unknown. Just took out a wave of mechs in D Wing."

"Excuse me?!" I exclaimed. "I have a name you know!"

"The unknown?" Wilson's voice continued. "How the hell...never mind, you need to get her out of there. Get to the service tunnels and head for the network control room."

"Roger that Wilson, stay on this frequency." Jacob then turned back to me. "Ready to go?"

"(sigh) Guess so."

"We can get to the service tunnels through this door."

He gestured at the door behind him, and we both continued on through the station. The service tunnels turned out to be infested with the robots, and it was too cramped for me to use my powers efficiently, forcing to once again rely on the strangely uncanny marksmanship I seemed to possess. A little while later, we met up the man calling himself Wilson in the network control room. He had been shot in the leg, so we patched him up with some stuff he and Jacob referred to as medi-gel. Whatever it was, it sure did the trick, as Wilson was up and complaining again not long after it was applied.

"Thanks, lady. Never thought you'd save my life..." he groaned. "I thought maybe I could shut down the security mechs, but whoever did this fried the whole system. Completely irreversible."

"We didn't ask what you were doing." Jacob pointed out. "Why do you even have security mech clearance? You were in the bio wing."

"Weren't you listening? I came here to try and fix this. Besides, I was shot! How do you explain that?"

"You could have shot yourself to cover your tracks." I noted. "Something I might have done if I were up to something like this. Then again, I've never hacked into any security systems or really any technology whatsoever."

This time, both of them gave me a weird look.

"Goddammit, you both know I'm severely under informed here!"

"We'll sort it out later." Jacob interrupted. "We need to find Miranda first. We can't just leave her behind."

"Forget about Miranda." Wilson added. "She was over in D Wing. The mechs were all over that sector, no way she survived."

"A bunch of mechs won't drop Miranda. She's alive."

"Then where is she? Why haven't we heard from her? There are only two possible explanations. She's either dead...or a traitor!"

"If this 'Miranda' is the same person who woke me up, then I'll bet she's still alive. However, I've got a feeling she's not a traitor." I chimed in.

"What makes you so sure?"

"She sound's too much like a stubborn mutt I know to become a turncoat when things go south."

"Okay, maybe she's not a traitor. But that doesn't change the facts. We're here, she's not. We need to save ourselves. The shuttle bay is only a few-"

His sentence came to a halt as the door he was looking at opened, and a squad of robots came blasting in.

"I'm getting real tired of this shit..." I growled under my breath before taking out a couple.

From there, the three of us fought our way out the door and to the stairs toward the door to the shuttle bay. About halfway up the stairs, Jacob stopped me again.

"Alright, we took the mechs down, but this is getting tense. Miss, if I tell you who we work for, will you trust me?"

"Probably not." I answered honestly. "I have no idea where or quite possibly when I am right now, so I have no prior knowledge as to who your bosses might be. Don't take it personally, though. I don't trust anybody."

"Fair enough."

"By the way, would it kill you to ask for my name? As much as it pleases me to be called 'miss'-which it doesn't-I'd rather not be referred to as 'unknown'."

I almost laughed as Jacob seemed to realize his failure to try addressing me as a normal person.

"Uh, right. Sorry."

"We don't have time for this!" Wilson interjected.

"True. Once we're off the station, I'll take you to see the Illusive Man. He'll explain everything. I promise."

Somehow I got the feeling that somebody with an alias such as 'Illusive Man' couldn't tell the truth to save his life, but seeing as how I was in need of answers, I had no choice but to go with it for the time being.

"Alright." I conceded.

Having ended the conversation, we proceeded up the stairs and to the shuttle bay door. Wilson eagerly jogged ahead of us and started pushing panels on the door.

"Come on, through here. We're almost at the-"

As the door flew open, we found ourselves face to face with a young woman with dark hair and green eyes who glared angrily at Wilson as he staggered back in surprise.

"Miranda?! But you were-"

The woman ended his sentence with a quick bullet to the throat, watching his lifeless form fall to the ground in front of us.

"Dead?" she said mockingly.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Jacob demanded.

Miranda then diverted her attention to me and him.

"My job. Wilson betrayed us all."

"I had a feeling he was a sleezy little bastard." I noted as I relaxed, having tensed up when she first drew her gun.

"Good instincts." she replied, giving me a slight nod of approval. "Some people are far too trusting to ever sense a coming betrayal. Looks like I was right to continue the project. Come on, let's get out of here. My boss wants to speak with you."

"You mean that Illusive Man guy?"

She then turned to Jacob.

"Ah, Jacob. I should've known your conscience would get the better of you."

"Lying to her isn't going to get us anywhere."

"On that, we can agree." I said. "Alright, I made it here, now you had better start talking."

"I said we would after we get out of here." Miranda countered.

_Bossy and bitchy...almost exactly like Kuga._ I noted. _Well, except for the fact that she doesn't seem oblivious to the big picture._

"Fine. Let's just get off this damn station already!"

"Uh, just one more thing." Jacob added. "You said you were going to tell us your name?"

Despite my irritation, I knew I owed him at least that much for being helpful.

"My name...is Nao. Nao Yuuki."

* * *

**A/N: And that's the first chapter! So what did you all think? Good? Bad? Too confusing? Please be sure to let me know in a review, as commentary is always welcome! Please be sure to continue reading, and I'll get back to this story as soon as I can! Until next time! Dark Novelist out.**

***It's never stated or shown where Nao's HiME marking is, so I thought I'd put it somewhere that's usually hidden.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Situation At Hand**

* * *

The ride off station was a bit quieter than I would have liked. Then again, the overwhelming silence was probably a result of me not knowing what the fuck was going on, the two agents or whatever they called themselves not knowing my name until a few minutes ago, and not one of us knowing where exactly to start with a conversation. Though, I didn't mind it too much. It gave me a chance to look out the window into the vast blackness of space. It's kinda funny really, it always seemed so much grander to see the stars back home. It was still a breathtaking sight, don't get me wrong, but if this is something common in wherever the hell it is I've ended up, then it sort of loses its amazement after a while. Letting out what felt like the hundredth sigh since we left the facility, I finally decided the awkward silence needed to end.

"Okay," I began. "since I'm going to assume we have some time before we arrive at this so called 'Illusive Man's place, I guess we oughta get to know each other a bit."

"Glad you finally felt like talking." Miranda said. "I've actually got a bit of an evaluation to do with you. Need to make sure everything worked out properly."

Jacob turned toward his partner skeptically.

"Really, Miranda? Right now? She's barely been awake for an hour."

That didn't seem to deter her in the slightest.

"We've spent two years on this. I don't want all of that work to go to waste."

Jacob sighed.

"Well, I can speak for her combat experience firsthand. She's even got some form of biotics no one has seen or developed yet."

"You know, it's rude to talk about people when they're right in front of you." I interjected, crossing my arms over my chest for emphasis on my annoyance.

For a moment, they both just shot me a look of surprise. Before I could ask what the problem was, Miranda shrugged it off before pulling up something on that strange holographic tool everyone seems to have on their forearms.

"Alright then. We're just going to ask you a few questions to see how your memory holds up." She explained.

I couldn't help but raise a brow in confusion.

"I'm not even from this world, and yet you're asking me to remember things I've most likely never heard about? I already told you, I'm not this 'Shepard' you two keep going on about. Oh well. Fine, go ahead, but I don't make any promises on how I answer."

"That's what the questions are for."

She looked at something that resembled a hologram of a paper projected in front of her before continuing.

"Let's start with background. It says here you were born on Earth-"

"That much is true."

I earned a small glare as she continued.

"-and that you were a petty criminal who escaped from underground gangs and other such frowned upon activities when you joined the Alliance military at 18."

I froze up slightly at this. I knew they were most likely talking about that Shepard person again, but…the records were accurate in my case as well. I'd like to think I left that kind of life behind me after Fuka Academy, but I was a notorious little troublemaker back then.

"….I don't know much about this while 'Alliance' military nonsense, but….well, you seem like a smart girl. I'm sure you can figure it out."

Again, I got a displeased look before my interrogator went on.

"Due to a number of events involving the rogue spectre Saren and the Geth, you were made into the first human spectre and graduated from the acclaimed N7 program."

Well, that explained the 'N7' on my armor. I thought such alien terms as 'Saren' and 'Geth' would mean about as much to me as the Alliance she mentioned, but something about those words made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Images of a strange alien looking man with green skin and neon blue eyes, along with weird cybernetic looking humanoids flashed through my mind. Apparently they took my silence as a sign that I recognized what they were talking about, because not long after Jacob spoke up with the next question.

"During your time in the military, you lost your entire squad in a thresher maw attack on Akuze. As the only one who made it out alive, there must have been some pretty heavy physical and mental scars."

I wanted to tell them I had no idea what they were talking about, because I really shouldn't have. But as much as I wanted to deny it, something at the back of my mind brought forth more images and memories like Saren and the Geth. I saw faces of men and women, screaming, crying out as their lives were snuffed out by some great and terrible beast with tendrils the size of a small house, crushed and splattered across the ground. I felt…angry, sadness, loss, some form of comradery with these people whose names I didn't know, faces I'd never seen, but for some reason felt like the loss of people I trusted. People I counted as…friends.

"…..lost a lot of good men and women out that day. There was nothing more that could have been done." I found myself saying in a tone that was unheard of from me.

I was a loner. A rebel. I didn't have friends. Though, I guess you could sort of count Kuga. We got along fairly well, the mutt and I, after the whole me tying her up in my Child's webs and holding her captive ordeal. Natsuki Kuga, to her credit, was pretty similar to me in terms of personality. But, she ended up with that bitch Fujino, so I didn't have much time to speak with a fellow loner anymore. For a while I shared a room with Mikoto, that energetic little runt, but I wouldn't say we were ever really close. I didn't really feel anything when she went off to be with that big chested ditz Tokiha. Hell, I even started getting along with that android after she stopped trying to kill us all. Sometimes I wonder whatever happened to Miyu Greer and her charge. I knew all those people…but I didn't ever call them my friends. They moved on with their lives, same as me, but I didn't care. So how come, then, that when I think about these soldiers who I never met, who were supposedly my squadmates or whatever, it feels like I lost a best friend or family member?

"Well...I guess it might have worked after all." Miranda said, breaking me out of my thoughts.

_Speaking of big chests and bitches…_

"What's that supposed to mean?" I growled.

"My employer should be able to answer that when we arrive at our destination. Next question."

She looked to her partner, who now seemed to be getting uneasy about this interrogation. Well, at least one of them had a shred of decency in regards to human emotions. Jacob sighed before looking at me again.

"Alright. Let's try something a little more recent. On Virmire, you had to put down a Krogan army created by Saren, and were forced to leave one of your squad members to die. Ashley Williams lost her life on that mission."

Again, I was assaulted by visions of a woman I had never met, but felt a connection to. From what I could gather, it was something about a choice between saving her and saving a man called Kaidan. Considering what I had to work with, I could piece together that Kaidan was a pretty good friend, and Ashley seemed to be a little too aggressive and rude, even for someone like me. Kaidan had what I needed to get the job done, Ashley would have made everyone we met hate our guts. Collecting myself, I spoke what was on my mind.

"Ash was a good soldier. She knew the risks when she signed up. I can't say that it isn't a shame to lose someone I could trust, though."

Jacob nodded, seeming pleased with the answer. As he did, I put a hand to my head. Ever since those visions and images started popping up, it was hurting like hell. The more they asked, the more visions came, the more intense the pain was becoming. If they asked any more, I think my head would literally explode from the stress. Luckily, Jacob seemed to sense my discomfort.

"Okay, I think that's enough. Clearly she's managed to integrate Shepard's memories into her own, she just needs to take it slow in adjusting to having someone else's thoughts in her head."

I looked up in alarm at that.

"W-What? Did you just say that-"

Before I could press further, a short little sequence of beeps sounded from Miranda's omnitool, that weird device I seem to have just now realized the name of, along with the fact that I had one as well.

"We've arrived." She announced.

Jacob muttered a quick apology before they filed out of the shuttle once it docked with whatever station we'd just landed at. Very concerned, and very angry, I followed them out shortly after. Jacob disappeared off to some other part of the station, but I found Miranda seated behind a desk, most likely filing a report on everything that had just transpired via the computer she was typing at. Without looking up at me, she off handedly gestured to a door a little down the hallway beside her.

"I'm sure you'll understand, that for reasons of security the Illusive Man can't exactly appear here in person. So we have the next best thing. I'm assuming you know about holograms?"

I nodded.

"Good. Right through there is a projector that'll make a hologram of you so that you can talk to him yourself."

Without another word, she went back to work, leaving me to my devices. Honestly, I wasn't that surprised to hear that. Shady organizations like this one were always run by someone who wanted to give away as little about their whereabouts as possible. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I headed through the door and down a corridor into a dark room, the center of which had a circular device prominently displayed in the floor. Not long after approaching it, a light shone from it, traveling up and down my body a few times, most likely scanning me before I found myself standing in another dark room on a different station. Directly in front of me was a massive window looking out at what I could only describe as a dying sun, burning brightly and brilliantly while at the same time retaining a sort of calmness and lack of constant explosions that the sun over earth had. And of course, in the center of this new room, seated in quite a comfy looking chair, an ash tray set up on a stand beside him, was the man who could only be the mysterious head of this organization. In the dark, the most I could make out about him were his obviously inhuman neon sapphire eyes. He cleared his throat before sitting up to address me.

"Ms. Yuuki, it's a pleasure, I daresay an honor to meet you." He said in a somewhat raspy voice.

Miranda must have told him my name on the way here.

"I take it you're the Illusive Man, seeing how you're the only one there?"

"That's correct. I must say, never in a million years had I expected to see something like you."

"What, never seen a redhead with an attitude before?"

I couldn't help but smirk at my words. Old habits die hard. Unfortunately, he didn't seem in the joking mood.

"Not one that's come from a different universe entirely, no. Much less one that's somehow swapped places with one of the most famous women in human history, in galactic history, and possibly destroyed humanity's last hope in doing so."

That got rid of my smirk pretty quickly.

"Well so-rry, but in case you hadn't noticed I didn't exactly ask to be here. I'm not that Shepard person you're all on about. But it seems you all disagree, considering you did something to me that put her memories in my head!"

"You'll have to hold off on your tantrum for a moment, if you want any answers. We did what we had to in order to prepare you for what lies ahead, and for the good of our species."

Gritting my teeth, I reluctantly held back a string of insults as I nodded for him to explain.

"I can tell you're the impatient type, so I will try to make this as quick as I can. Two years ago, Commander Jane Shepard of the SSV Normandy was looking into leads on a race of highly advanced machines known as the Reapers, whose long standing purpose is to exterminate all organic life in the galaxy every 50,000 years. It was during this investigation, which took place after the defeat of the Reaper Sovereign, our first contact with the machines, that the Normandy was attacked by an unknown vessel. It was during this attack that Shepard met her untimely demise."

Now that was news to me. Apparently I had the memories of a dead woman.

"Not long afterward, human colonies began to disappear, just…vanished. The few reports we've received claim that the vessel that destroyed the Normandy was responsible. We have reason to believe the Reapers are responsible, we have reason to believe they aren't. There is still no sure way to be certain. So, in order to prepare for the coming storm, we launched the Lazarus Project, with the objective of bringing Commander Shepard back to the world of the living. Shepard, as I'm sure you've guessed, was a hero to humanity, and to the galaxy as well. If the Reapers are behind this, then it will take a united galaxy to stand even a small chance of surviving. Shepard is exactly who we need to rally everyone together. So, starting two years ago, we began to rebuild her. For a year and a half, we put her back together, using everything we had at our disposal. We were close, until six months ago…"

"Is that when I showed up?"

He nodded.

"The facility where Shepard was being reconstructed was struck by an unknown energy signature, an energy which resonated with Shepard's body. By the time someone got to where she was supposed to be, they found you laying there in her place. At first we thought the energy had simply reversed Shepard's aging, as she was only a few years older than you are now, but then we found that tattoo, along with that same mysterious energy signature, and we knew it was not the woman we had spent trillions rebuilding."

I gulped at that. I guess Shepard really was important to these people, and I had a pretty damn good idea what that strange energy that caused all of this was.

"Unfortunately for us, there was no way of getting Shepard back. However, we had extracted enough DNA from her and had more than enough of her personal history on record that we could start anew. Of course, we had to do something about you. We couldn't simply ignore the anomaly that suddenly appeared. We were already running out of time and resources, and you gave us a new one. So I went with the best plan that came to mind, and ordered that the project be continued…with you in Shepard's place."

I felt my eyes widen as realization set in.

"So then…what you're telling me…"

He lit a cigarette before reclining in his chair.

"As of this moment, Ms. Yuuki, the fate of the galaxy is in your hands. You're Commander Shepard now."

* * *

**A/N: I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry that it took me over a year to update this! (yes, a year!) I know that those of you who are actually still looking forward to this were probably hoping for more action rather than exposition, but I felt that there was a lot to say and that certain points needed to be established before it could really get rolling. I swear that it will not take nearly as long (hopefully) to get out another chapter. I was really surprised that the first chapter got the reception that it did, and the requests to continue are really encouraging. As always, hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to review! Till next time! Dark Novelist out.**

**P.S.: At this time, I still have not completed Mass Effect 1 and lack the means to acquire it and continue my playthrough until sometime in September, so all I have to go on is the Genesis thing in ME2. So if there are any inaccuracies in anything, that is why.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Situation at Hand Pt. 2**

* * *

_You're Commander Shepard now…_

The words repeated like the lyrics to a bad song over and over again in my head as we approached the colonized world of Freedom's Progress. I hadn't exactly been…willing…to accept the mission, but, unfortunately, the asshat in the shadows had an offer I literally couldn't refuse. I swear I could feel his smug grin grow as I chewed him out for bringing me into this mess.

"This is insane! I don't know you people, I don't belong in this world, and I'm not Commander Shepard! I'm not the good guy, okay?! I'm not some great hero who saves the day and gets the girl! I'm just someone who happens to have powers trying to get by!" I had yelled.

"I didn't ask to switch places with your Shepard, I didn't ask to have my head fucked with, and I sure as hell didn't ask to play savior to a galaxy I don't even know! Why don't you just send me back, and take Shepard? She's obviously way more qualified for this than I am!"

The Illusive Man waited for me to finish before sitting up and exhaling a puff of smoke as he looked me in the eyes.

"I see you weren't listening as well as I had hoped. We can't get Shepard back. If we could, then we would have gladly sent you on your way home, Ms. Yuuki."

Somehow I doubted that last statement, but his next line didn't give me time to snap at him for it.

"However, we are currently researching the energy signature that brought you to us in the first place. Given time, we could find a way to locate it and send you back through. I'd even forward you updates regarding our progress on the matter as you go about your mission. If for nothing else, then I ask you to accept the current situation and the role you've been given for the sake of getting away from us, and back to your normal life. Sound fair enough?"

I didn't want to admit it, but it was a pretty good offer. Except, there were still some things that concerned me.

"Say I do accept, and play the part of Shepard, what happens if you find a way to send me back home and I haven't yet finished your mission? How can I be sure you won't just keep me here for experiments or some other contrived shit like that?"

The Illusive Man paused for a moment. His forehead seem to get more wrinkles as he frowned slightly, and I couldn't help but wonder if I had hit the nail on the head with that last statement. Eventually though, he sighed and put down his cigar before facing me again.

"Very well. If it will ensure your cooperation in this matter, then you have my word that should we find the means to send you back to your world, we will allow you to leave." He said with reluctance, but then continued with a serious glare.

"However, I will not allow you to fully depart unless we can be assured that the real Shepard will return to us as well."

Couldn't really fault him there, I suppose. If I left, and there was still no way to get their hero back, the galaxy would be even more fucked than he's making it out to be. Unfortunately for me, I still had no idea who to trust, if anyone, and no way of knowing if anyone else had the kind of resources at their disposal that this guy has. _Don't really have a lot of options here, Yuuki. It's either play the hero, and ride it out until they find a way to get you back home…or do nothing and most likely become a lab rat._ Sighing for what felt like the hundredth time since I arrived in this strange world, I looked back at the Illusive Man. Guess there's really only one choice.

"…Fine. Deal." I said reluctantly. "But if you go back on your word, then so help me god…"

The Illusive Man waved his hand.

"I hope it won't have to come to that, but I'm glad you're on board. I'll notify my people to begin searching for the energy signature immediately. Now then, may I assume you're ready to start working?"

"I'll learn what I need to about the changes you made as I go. The sooner I get done, the sooner I can go home, right? Let's just get started."

He nodded.

"Then I suggest starting with the colony on Freedom's Progress. It was hit very recently, so you're most likely to find something of worth there. Find out anything and everything you can about what's happening."

"Alright then. I guess that means we're done here for now."

As the hologram started to disconnect, the Illusive Man reclined in his chair.

"Good luck, Ms. Yuuki. We're counting on you."

* * *

And that's how I ended up where I am now, straining my eyes to read through the massive databank of knowledge my omnitool provided access to. I had a feeling that even with his resources, it was going to be a very long time before the Illusive Man found anything relevant or solid on getting me home, so in the meantime I might as well brush up on everything I can. Who would have thought there'd be so many different alien species out there? Quarian, Turian, Asari, Krogan, the list just keeps expanding. The sound of the shuttle going in for landing broke me out of my reading.

"We're here." Miranda said after the last hiss of escaping steam the brakes gave off.

Nodding in affirmation, I got out and drew the SMG at my side. Even if guns weren't really my thing, I had to admit it certainly didn't hurt to have one. It was one of the lighter weapons I had been given prior to departure, along with that pistol I had earlier and a sniper rifle. Well, that's they turned out to be, because at first glance the damn thing looks like an oddly colored box. But when it's needed, the rifle folds out and extends into something that looks more like what you'd expect a laser gun from the future to look like. Despite my oddly proficient accuracy with firearms back on the station, I wasn't just about to rely on something so new just yet, especially when my threads are so effective. Once all three of us were out, I took a minute to look at Freedom's Progress. It was quiet, almost deathly so if not for the breeze. The snow that covered everything in sight made me glad that I was wearing a full suit of armor. Miranda must be freezing her ass off in her skin tight suit.

"Damn…it's just like he said. Everyone's gone." Jacob stated, breaking the silence.

"Yeah…" I added after getting a good look myself.

"Well, we won't find anything just standing around, let's get moving." Miranda said as she and Jacob drew their own weapons.

I nodded before heading toward the nearest door. The house inside looked a bit like a more futuristic version of an everyday house, from what I saw. There weren't any signs of struggle, surprisingly enough. Nothing looked out of the ordinary as far as I could tell. Seeing nothing that could point out how the disappearance might have happened, we moved on through the home and out onto the ramps beyond it. Not long after, a number of those damn robots stood up from behind some railing and started shooting at us. Cursing under my breath, I took cover with my companions.

"I thought this place was supposed to be deserted?" I yelled over the gunfire.

"Apparently someone's still around!" Jacob retorted. He then shot a quick glance over at our assailants.

"Those are security mechs, probably been reprogrammed to attack on sight."

"Not again…" I groaned, remembering the mechs back on the station.

Luckily for us, these mechs went down just as easily with a few well-placed shots to the head and chest. Just as we were standing up to move on, low mechanized growling rang out from the stairway leading up to our right. A pair of short, dog like mechs started running at us, most likely intent on ramming us with their big round heads. However, I wasn't in the mood for dealing with them, so I quickly brought out my element and lashed out at the mechs. As expected, my threads cut through the metal with ease, slashing them to ribbons. I couldn't help but smirk as the severed parts exploded. Safe for the moment, Miranda looked at me in surprise.

"What the hell was that? Some sort of biotic?" she said.

"Nope. That's a little something called 'element'." I responded.

"I wasn't kidding when I said she could handle herself, Miranda." Jacob interjected.

"I can see that…but it makes me wonder, what other kinds of powers do you have?"

I shook my head at Miranda's question.

"Sorry, I prefer to keep my best stuff for when I really need it."

A disappointed grunt was her response, but she seemed to stop pressing for now. Weapons at the ready, we pressed on. As we moved through buildings and fought off mechs, I noticed the recurring pattern of little evidence to the abduction of the colonists. At one point we came across a set dinner table, with nearly untouched food that was still warm. It was as if the occupants had just stood up and left in the middle of dinner. After finishing off yet another series of mechs, we came across an unexpected sight. Inside one of the buildings, a group of humanoids all wearing strange suits with purple visors and well armed were huddled around what looked to be an injured comrade. It took me a moment to remember from my readings that these were Quarians. Of course, by the time I realized that said aliens had stood up and pointed their guns at us. Reflexively, my companions did the same.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Miranda.

"I was just about to ask the same question, Cerberus!" responded a Quarian with red highlights on his suit.

Before either side could make a remark, a female Quarian ran in between us and seemed to glare down at her ally.

"Prazza, enough! We've already got enough problems to deal with!" she turned to us. "We don't need any more wounded-wait….Shepard?!"

I froze up. _This Quarian girl…she knows Shepard?! Shit! What do I do?_ While I was trying to think of how to respond, a surge of memories coursed through my head at lightning speed. _…..Tali….this girl's name is Tali._ Knowing I had to say something soon, I did my best to ignore the painful throbbing in my forehead from the memory surge and put on a small smile.

"It's me, Tali. Cerberus rebuilt me." I answered.

"But…I heard you were dead…and you…you look younger for some reason."

Shit. I forgot about that. Okay, time to think fast.

"…yeah, even I was surprised at how effective they were at it. I can hardly believe the results myself."

_C'mon, take the bait…_

"Well…I can agree on that. I'm mostly surprised that they helped you, given your history with them." Tali said after a time.

_Gotcha._

"I need their help this time, but I'm still calling the shots. What are you doing down here?"

"We're here for a Quarian named Veetor. He came here on pilgrimage, and somehow didn't disappear with the colonists. But, when he saw us landing he…sort of panicked and locked himself in a building on the other side of the settlement."

"Veetor probably reprogrammed the mechs, if he was that frantic." Jacob interjected.

"It looks that way…"

Veetor probably had knowledge on what happened to the colonists, and if he was that frantic then it must have been pretty bad. But why didn't he get abducted as well? Regardless, none of us were getting any answers standing around. If Tali was a friend of Shepard, maybe I could use that to our advantage in getting to Veetor, who probably has lots more mechs between him and us.

"Veetor has some info we need. Maybe we should work together." I suggested.

"Good idea." Tali said, nodding.

"Now we're working with Cerberus?!" the Quarian called Prazza growled.

"No Prazza, you work for me. Now suck it up and let's go!"

I smirked at Tali's lecture. I think I see why Shepard was friends with this girl. Feisty and self confident, not bad. As she and her group left to approach the building Veetor was in from one side, my group started heading toward it from another. Once we were well out of earshot, Miranda and Jacob pulled me aside.

"That was close, Ms. Yuuki." Miranda said. "I didn't expect to run into one of Shepard's colleagues so soon…"

"I'm surprised you managed to convince her you were Shepard. No offense, but I was afraid you'd blow your cover right away, especially when she brought up your age." Jacob added.

I took a moment to let out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I was seriously concerned. Luckily, your little trick of giving me Shepard's memories gave me enough info about her to piece a façade together. I'm just glad she's so gullible."

"Agreed." said Miranda. "But she probably won't be the last of Shepard's former allies that you meet, so you should brush up on your history some more once we've finished up here. Also, I'd advise against using your powers in their presence if you can avoid it."

I nodded in understanding before we continued our approach to Veetor. Just before the last door before the building where he was hiding, a ton of flying turret shaped mechs landed on a series of crates in front of us and started firing non-stop, barely leaving a chance to return fire. Had I a few seconds, I could bring out my element to cut them apart. Suddenly, I remembered a certain feature my armor came with. Pushing a button on my wrist bracer, I activated my suit's active camouflage feature. While my companions drew their fire, I snuck up behind the turret mechs and called out my element. In seconds, those meddlesome turrets were scrap metal. Barely a minute had passed before our communicators went off and Tali's voice came through.

"Shepard, I tried to warn him but Prazza wouldn't listen. He and his men went ahead of us, and they're getting slaughtered by a heavy mech!"

I cursed under my breath at this, but couldn't help feeling Prazza had brought it on himself for rushing ahead.

"If it's a heavy mech, it's gonna be packing some serious firepower. We better get into a good position for when that door opens." suggested Jacob.

I nodded in agreement, then took up a spot behind one of the crates in front of the door while my companions got on either side of it. When we were all ready, the door opened, and we were immediately presented with the sight of a large mech with guns for hands massacring several Quarians, one of which was unfortunate enough to take a direct hit from a rocket. With the amount of firepower the thing was unloading, getting close with my element didn't seem to be much of an option. _Well, if ever there was a time for it, it'd be now._ Groaning in frustration, I took out the sniper rifle I had been outfitted with and took aim at its neon red eyes. Once I got the damn thing steady, I pulled the trigger and watched…as the large bolt from my rifle barely put a dent in its defenses. Growling, I holstered my sniper and started to think up other options. _My SMG is supposed to be good at taking down shields, but that thing's armor is too thick, and my pistol doesn't shoot fast enough to be much of an option, I can't get close enough with all those bullets to try my element…guess I've only got one option._ Hearing a rocket being armed, I ran from my cover to another crate just as the first exploded into debris. Smirking, I held out my hand and summoned my element.

"Juliet!" I yelled, attempting to call forth my Child.

_Just you wait, tin can. My lovely Juliet is going to bind you up so tightly you won't be able to do a damn thing, and then she'll run you through!_ …is what I thought. But she never came. I could feel my eyes widening in disbelief as the mech turned its head to me again. _Juliet? Juliet! Come out! I need you! Answer me, damn it! JULIET!_ No matter how hard I tried, my Child wouldn't appear. Gritting my teeth, I broke out of my shock long enough to avoid another rocket blast.

"God dammit!" I yelled as I drew both my SMG and pistol.

I felt tears form and fall from my eyes as I unloaded everything I had into the mech, not caring whether or not it was effective. I don't know how many rounds I had emptied into the thing until it finally collapsed and exploded. All I could do was stand there staring at the ground. Juliet didn't come. The only thing in life that I trusted, the only one I could rely on, didn't appear. She didn't answer my call. Not even when I was begging. I stayed like this until I felt myself being shaken back to my senses, and looked to see Jacob holding my shoulders.

"Shepard!" he yelled.

Scowling, I pushed his hands off of me.

"I'm fine."

"But Shep-"

"I said I'm fine!"

He didn't look very convinced, but he relented.

"…fine. Veetor's just inside. Come in when you're ready."

I answered with a slow nod, hearing him walk away. Alone, I looked down at my hands.

"Juliet….why didn't you come?"

_Why? What reason could she possibly have that would keep her from listening to me? What could be responsible? The only reason a Child wouldn't answer when called would be…would be…_

I felt my arms fall to my side, dropping the weapons they held as the truth came to me. I knew. I knew why Juliet didn't come.

"…..oh. That's right…..

….you're dead."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! Don't forget to review! Till next time! Dark Novelist out.**


End file.
